4. Mario Balotelli
The ‘Balotelli to Arsenal’ saga has been one of the most long-running sagas of the summer; however, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. For those of you who don’t know, Mario Balotelli is an Italian striker who currently plays for AC Milan, and comes with his fair share of controversy. However, despite a disappointing season, Balotelli’s class is still clear, and you know that he can do something special for a team just when they might need it. He scored 17 times in all competitions last season, which is a respectable total given the quality of the Milan side for whom he played. He also created 6 assists, which is an improvement on his time in the Premier League. At just 23 years of age, there is certainly more to come from the controversial Italian.
Despite the signing of Alexis Sanchez, it is my belief that Arsenal still need a new striker if they are challenge for the Premier League next season. Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski and Joel Campbell can all play a striking role. However, none of them possess the physical ability of Balotelli, and in the system in which Arsenal play, holding up the ball and laying it off to others is vital. Balotelli measures well over 6 foot, and thus fits the ‘Giroud role’ perfectly, perhaps just with that added bit of class. Additionally, we all know that Balotelli can score the occasional ‘worldie’, and would be one of few players in the Arsenal squad who would have such an ability. What’s more, Milan are reportedly keen to get rid of Balotelli, so that they can fund their own transfer activity this summer; reports are suggesting that they would let him go for as little as £15m, which would no doubt be a gamble worth taking.
With height, pace, a bullet shot and that rare ability to surprise everyone, Mario Balotelli is a gamble worth taking.